Hearts Set To Sail
by NerdyBirdy95
Summary: The year is 1912. Tensions are rising high in Europe, and talk of a new life for everyone in America is spreading like wildfire. This is the story of four souls that were destined to cross paths. This is how they loved, conquered, and survived on the fated ship Titanic. ***Involves Nyotalia*** (USxFem!UK)(FrancexFem!Canada)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I've done it now. I have really done it now. Not only did I make a new AU, I have probably done the worst thing I could ever do to the poor babies (T^T). Please do not kill me guys, I'll try my best with this one, but I can't give you all the details!**

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_Now the story I'm about to tell you is a story of great sadness. It is a story of survival, of death, of fear, and of love. It's heartbreaking, and heartwarming all the same. This, dear children, is the story of how we all met; how we've learned and loved. This is the story of how we survived the odds, and came to America._

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_April 10, 1912- Francis and Alice_

Southampton, England was alive with excitement on this April morning. April tenth to be more specific. People from all across Europe, and even further beyond Europe, were gathering along the port of Southampton. Talk of a new life fluttered across the heads, and into the ears, of the people only fueling the hope many of the travelers were now sharing. However, there was one who did not share any of the excitement that floated through the air. Especially when she was getting her hair pulled out of her head as the crewman searched her for lice.

"Tell me again Francis, my dear cousin." She growled at the man that was being searched for lice as well, as another part of her long blonde hair was pulled again. "Why on God's good graces are we leaving England for America?" Her cousin sighed softly as his head was tilted back so that the small stubble on his chin could be searched as well.

"Alice, mon petit lapin, I have told you hundreds of times after I bought the tickets-"

"Honestly you've searched my hair twice now!" Alice interrupted him as she pushed away the crewman that searched her hair. "If I had any bloody lice you would have found it!" Without so much as another word to her cousin, or the crewman she pushed away, she grabbed her bag as well as her cousin's bag from the floor and stormed away from the inspection queue.

"Pardonnez-moi." Francis said with a sheepish chuckle as he hurried after her, trying his best not to loose her in the crowd of people.

"Alice, dear cousin of mine who annoys me so." Francis said as he finally caught up to her. Alice did not even look at him as she desperately tried to fix her hair that was now in tangled knots.

"We are going for a better life. England, and France, has nothing left for us." He explained.

"We could have still made a life here!" Alice protested, though she knew that Francis had truth behind his words. Alice however hated that she had to leave her home country; hated the fact that Francis had to sell most of their things, including the house in which Alice was born. Now they had nothing, and their only hope was a new life in America. Alice hated that so much. Francis rolled his eyes as he grabbed Alice's arm lightly, making her slow down in her fast paced walk.

"Alice," Francis said, and she knew by the tone of his voice that he was serious. "You know, as well as I do, that we can no longer have a home here. After my parents died, I was lucky enough to get shipped here to live with family. But even then, we still struggled. Uncle's business, your _father's_ business Alice, was sinking fast and then it all went down hill-"

"I don't need you to remind me of that, Francis! But that doesn't mean we cannot still make a life here! There is no reason for us to get on that damned ship." Alice snapped. Francis sighed looking up at the sky, then back down at Alice, who refused to look at him. Francis knew what Alice was really scared of. It wasn't the fact of change- Alice simply hated change she wasn't scared of it. Alice was petrified of sailing, and of the water.

"Mon petit lapin," Francis said to his younger cousin as he brushed her hair back from her face. "You must trust me. This ship is said to be the fastest ship in all of England. And look at it! Nothing can sink it! You will never find a safer ship than this. We will be in New York before you even know it." Alice, however, still shook her head.

"Francis we could still build a life… I could have gotten married to one of the shop owners." She said quickly knowing that Francis never liked the idea. He had always told her that if she was going to marry someone, it was going to be because she loved him. "They never really struggled much… we would have been well off…" She trailed off as soon as she saw Francis shaking his head.

"And have you miserable the rest of your days, married to someone you do not love?" Francis asked as he threw his arm over her shoulders and gently urged her to keep walking. "Alice, you and I, have been miserable far too long. It is time that we have some happiness to ourselves oui?"

Alice couldn't deny it, and found herself nodding slightly. After her mother died, when Alice was young, it had been Francis who took care of her. It was Francis who took care of her when her father became a drunken mess, and it was Francis who protected her from her father's abuse. After her father died and their little bakery collapsed, it was Francis who tried to give the two of them a better life and tried to salvage the bakery. Alice recounted all of the things that Francis had done for her, and she realized that she could repay him by going with him to America. Even if the idea made her aggravated, it would mean the world to Francis.

"W-Well yes." Alice muttered. She let out a heavy sigh and looked at her cousin from the corner of her eye. "I still doubt that we're going to America for a better life. I think it's because you're running away from that fling you had." She said. Francis looked at her with a playful look as he pulled her onto one of the many boarding planks that led into steerage were the two would be staying.

"Fling?" He repeated stroking his chin. "Are you talking about that wonderful time I had with the most beautiful girl I had ever met? The girl who spoke French so beautiful she would have made any native Frenchmen green with envy? The girl with hair so soft, and beautiful, it looked as if it was kissed by the sun itself? My beautiful love with eyes so enchanting she has made me her most loyal servant-"

"Honestly Francis," Alice interrupted as she took the tickets from her cousin's hands and gave them to the crewman for inspection. "You must stop being so dramatic. It was a fling and nothing more." She said curtly, before taking the tickets back. Francis rolled his eyes again as he grabbed his bag more tightly.

"A fling? It lasted a year between us two!" He said defensively.

"And then she just left without so much as a word." Alice said as she walked through the hallways of the ship. "It was a fling that lasted longer than your usual flings." Alice replied as she looked at the numbers on the door.

"Alice you're so cruel to moi." Francis said dramatically. "After all I have done for you."

"Oh yes because dragging me onto this large piece of tin is really what I wanted." Alice said as the two went back to teasing each other as they always have done.

"Oh Alice." Francis said as they found their room. "I have told you; Titanic is our future! Our only shot at a new life for us!" He chuckled as he opened the door for her.

"Or it may very well be our doom as well." Alice replied curtly. Alice Kirkland hated ships, and Titanic was no different- no matter what Francis Bonnefoy may have told her.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Ahhh finally chapter two. It's very short I know, but it's only a small introduction. As we get further into the story, I can promise that the chapters will be very lengthy and full of wonderful details. Enjoy my lovelies~**

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_April 10, 1912- Alfred and Madeline_

The ship was enormous. Now it made sense why they called it Titanic. But despite the air of excitement, Madeline could not feel any of it. She was… nervous to put it lightly. If it weren't for her brother, who sat next to her with his usual bored expression, she would have probably stayed in England rather than go back to America.

"Mother," Madeline said lightly to the woman across the seat from her. "Why couldn't we have stayed in England, just for a bit longer?"

"Now… Margret, you know full well why." Madeline sighed very softly to her self as, per usual, her pompous stepfather intervened with his unwanted comments. "In case you've forgotten, which you clearly have with our time in this mess of a city, your fiancé is back across the sea. _If_ you still have a fiancé. What a scandal this will be, we'll have to push the wedding date up now and hope no one will notice."

"Uhm… Madeline," Madeline said softly as she looked down at her folded hands that rested in her lap. "Not Margret… and I've told you plenty of times that I don't want to be forced into this… sham of a wedding."

"Hmm?" Her stepfather said as he lit one of his cigars, blowing smoke directly into the twin's faces. "What was that Margret? I wasn't listening." Madeline only sighed again, whereas her brother took up arms in her defense.

"Her name is Madeline, Arnold. For Christ's sake didn't you bother to learn the names of your wife's children? And she doesn't want to marry that drunk of a man you picked out for her. Jesus, she's seventeen practically a grown woman who can make that kind of decision for herself."

"Alfred," Their mother said, finally speaking up. Alfred merely rolled his eyes instead of looking at his mother. He knew what she was about to say, and even mouthed the words to Madeline making the young girl smile softly. "Mind yourself while talking to your father."

"Whatever you say mother." Alfred said. Arnold however, just kept puffing away at his cigar blowing the smoke directly across to the twins.

"Honestly Annabeth, how did you ever survive on your own with these two? Your son is a rude little prick, and your daughter a little whore who can't keep her legs closed."

"Better than an ignorant fat ass who thinks its actually _ok_ to insult his stepchildren." Alfred whispered to Madeline, who only kept her head down.

"Alfred don't…" Madeline whispered quickly to her brother, however it was too late. Arnold took hold of his walking stick smacked Alfred upside the head with the handle. Alfred's head lurched forward a bit, and Madeline instantly grabbed her brother's arm since she knew he would lunge at their stepfather for that.

"I heard that boy. Next time around, I won't be so nice about it." Arnold said before turning to Madeline. "And as for you, as soon as we get to America we're going to solve this issue you've put us in."

"If you take her to that damn doctor I will personally-"

"Oh Alfred look we're here." Madeline said quickly as the car finally stopped outside the port. Very quickly she leaned over her brother and opened the door on his side. Madeline quickly pushed him outside, and followed after him. "Mother, Arnold we'll meet you on the ship." With that, Madeline climbed out of the car, grabbed her brother's arm and quickly pulled him towards the boarding plank.

"What the hell did you do that for Maddie!" Alfred asked quickly.

"Because I don't need to see you get hit again with that walking stick." She replied as she reached into his coat pocket and grabbed two sheets of paper. "And before you say anything I slipped our tickets into your pocket this morning. You honestly think I want to bored the ship with him nagging on in my ear…"

"Well… just remember as soon as we get back to America, we're booking it from the two of them. The nerve of that asshole…"

"… Do… do you think he'll notice that I'm gone?" Madeline asked softly. Alfred sighed and gave his sister a small pat on the arm.

"After the months you two spent together? He'd be a fool if he didn't come running after you Maddie. After all, you are carrying his child. The damn fool better come running with a ring in his hand." He said with a small smile. Madeline shook her head.

"I was such a fool wasn't I?" She asked as the climbed the boarding plank.

"No Maddy, you were in love. And who knows, with how fate works and what not, maybe you'll see him again." Madeline sighed, simply nodding. The fantastical part of Madeline hoped that her brother was right. However, the realistic side of her knew that it wouldn't happen. All she knew was that she was going back to America, with one extra person to remind her of her wonderful year in England.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I'm a terrible person for starting this story. A terrible, terrible person my lovelies. I'm already starting to get teary eyed just writing it. Why? Because I already know what's going to happen to our favorite characters! A terrible person, that's what I am. But I also do enjoy writing this. I think it may be my favorite story. I do hope that you enjoy it though. But I must say again, if you do not like Nyotalia or any of the pairings in this story then that's fine. I only ask that you do not spam the reviews stating how much you hate it, or things like that. Thank you and enjoy my lovelies!**

_Chapter 3_

_April 10,1912- Alice_

The horn of the ship was loud, and obnoxious. Alice held her hands over her ears as it sounded for what seemed like hours. She growled softly to herself; she couldn't even look outside of the window to see if they were moving at all on this heap of scrap metal. Mainly because there was no window to look out of in the small dreary room that Alice was in. Not only was it small, it became quickly cramped in a matter of seconds. Well not really seconds. Alice, and Francis, learned that they would be sharing their room only minutes after they boarded. Francis, ever the people person, was quick to greet the new comers. Alice, however, was quick to dismiss the two. Francis though hit it off with the two people quickly, and the three seemed to become quick friends.

The first one that came into the now shared room was Antonio Fernandez Carriedo; he was heading to America in hopes of a better future like everyone else. The only things that Antonio brought with him were his guitar, a small bag full of clothes, and a picture of someone. _'Her name is Lovina. She would have been my fiancé, if not for the fact that I did not have any money for a ring… She left for America on the Mauretania, for its maiden voyage too. I can't wait to see her, because this time amigo, I finally have the ring for her.'_

The second person to enter the room was a loud and obnoxious German. Though, when Alice mentioned it, he immediately began going on and on about how he was a full-blooded Prussian. Alice thought he was a moron. The 'full-blooded Prussian' was known as Gilbert Beilschmidt. He was apparently heading to America to meet his younger half-brother. _'Ja, apparently little Luddy is getting married! My baby bruder can't have a wedding without his awesome big brother there! That's just… well it's down right heresy!'_ Then Gilbert proceeded to laugh at his own joke. Alice still thought he was a moron.

Now though, Alice had the small room to herself. Francis and his two new friends had left to watch the ship leave port… and to wave to the people below like morons. Alice though, wanted nothing to do with that spectacle. The Brit figured that she would wait a few moments before leaving her room to explore the ship. She was stuck on it anyway, so she might as well see what the ship held. It would be easier to know just how long she had to wait if she had a bloody window in her room. Honestly was that too much to ask for? Then again, no one did pay much mind to the third class. After all, weren't they the ones stuck in steerage with the rats? Disgusting creatures they are.

Alice let out a sigh. She may as well go up to the deck now; there was nothing else to do in the room anyway. Alice had already cleaned up after those three morons, sorting everything out and placing everything over by their beds. Alice was a bit uneasy about being the only woman in a room of three men, but she was sure that Francis wouldn't let those two hurt her. Francis had always protected her. That's also why she pushed her cousin to the lower bunk, and why Alice took the top bunk.

The door opened with a light creek, and from the silence that hung heavy over the hall, Alice could tell that everyone was either on deck or settling down in their own rooms. Before Alice left though, she ran back inside of her room and opened up her bag of clothes to pull out a light colored shawl. After all it might be cold up on deck, and the last thing she wanted to do was catch a cold.

Once she was outside her room, Alice shut the door behind her and tried to find her way back up to the deck. There were so many staircases and entryways; it made Alice's head spin. But after a while she managed to find her way up on to the lower deck where all the other third class passengers were. _'What a sorry bunch we are..'_ Alice thought to herself as she started walking along the deck at a relaxed pace. It was a good thing that Alice brought her shawl, it was a bit nippier on deck then it was in her room.

Alice watched as a crewman from the first class walked by her with an assembly of pure-breed dogs- obviously from the first class passengers. Alice scowled a bit as she watched one of the dog's raise its leg to piss on one of stair railings.

"Amazing," She growled to herself. "They bring the first class dogs to piss, and shit, down here. Have they no decency?"

"Well," A voice said behind her making Alice whirl around. "Lets you know where we stand in the scheme of things, eh?" Alice quickly recognized her new cabin-mate Gilbert; after all he was quite noticeable what with his silver hair and bright red eyes.

"Well, it's positively deplorable." Alice stated curtly, crossing her arms over her chest. "And what are you doing sneaky up on me? Aren't you supposed to be with my cousin?" She asked. Gilbert snickered, sticking his hands in his pockets, and rocking back on his heels.

"Yea, well the crowd started thinning out as soon as we left port and Francis saw you come up from below. So he asked me to come and grab ya." Gilbert explained. Alice raised a brow at the albino.

"And why didn't he just come and grab me himself?" Alice countered. Gilbert simply shrugged.

"That's because he's sitting with Antonio listening to him play his guitar. Francis said you had a thing for the fine arts or whatever so he wants you to come and listen." Alice just sighed. Yes she fancied the fine arts, but she highly doubted that Antonio knew just what the fine arts were.

"Fine, fine. Just lead the way." Alice said. Gilbert was happy to do it too. As they walked together Gilbert began to start a one sided conversation, which Alice slowly started responding too. Turns out that Gilbert wasn't as moronic as Alice had thought.

Gilbert used to be a mechanic, and a good one as he had said, but once a lot of people started coming in for jobs a bunch of the younger mechanics were laid off; just as Gilbert was. The Prussian was only 24, two years older than Alice, and began fixing cars for free if anyone needed it. Sometimes people would give him a generous tip, usually the ones who couldn't really afford to tip him in the first place, while others never really gave him so much as a thank you. But Gilbert loved fixing cars.

"Once I get to America, I'm gonna open up my own repair shop." He told her, as they reached Francis and Antonio.

"And how, pray tell, are you going to get the money for that?" Alice asked. Gilbert snickered once more before answering.

"Well obviously I'm gonna work for it frau." He stated. Francis, who had heard their approach, let out a laugh.

"Just so long as he doesn't waste it all on beer." The Frenchman said to Antonio who chuckled lightly. Alice thought that Gilbert would surely take offense to this, but instead the Prussian only sat down with a laugh.

"Ja, because American beer is just so much better than German beer." Gilbert said sarcastically, as Francis handed him a cigarette.

"Mon petite lapin," Francis said as he patted at the space next to him, motioning for Alice to sit next to him, which she did. "Finally decided to come and get some fresh air?" He teased. Alice shoved him lightly, rolling her green eyes.

"It was too stuffy in that room anyway… Besides, Gilbert told me you wanted me here anyway. To listen to Antonio play his guitar?" Alice said with an expressionless stare. Francis nodded, as he lit the cigarette he placed between his lips. Francis took a long drag from it before answering Alice, being sure to blow the smoke away from her.

"Oui, oui. Who was that composer you really enjoy… That…oh who was it again?"

"…Beethoveen, Francis…It's Beethoveen…" Alice said as she shook her head. Francis nodded vigorously.

"Yes that's the one! Antonio, mon ami, can you play one of his songs?" Francis asked. Antonio nodded as he fixed his guitar slightly, so that he could sit more comfortably.

"Sure, which one would you prefer chica?" Antonio asked.

"Uhm, Moonlight Sonata?" Alice asked. It was her favorite song amongst all of Beethoven's classics. Alice loved hearing it, when she could hear it. She had read a lot about Beethoven in her youth, in fact she had read about a lot of things when she was younger. But her most favorite subject was the arts.

Antonio nodded and looked down at his guitar. His fingers began plucking along at the strings while his other hand worked along the strings of the neck. Soon Beethoveen's Moonlight Sonata came to life on Antonio's guitar. Alice was mesmerized, as she always was when she heard the beautiful piece of music. She even began to hum along to the tune.

"Well damn," Gilbert said during the middle of the tune, before taking a long drag on his cigarette. "You got some real talent there, Tonio."

Without skipping a beat, Antonio nodded his head in thanks to Gilbert's acknowledgment. Alice had to agree. She had jumped the gun to quickly, judging the two of them way to quickly before she got to know them better. In fact, Alice found herself enjoying their company.

After Antonio finished the Sonata, the four of them began conversing about their plans once they get to America. Antonio only had one real plan in mind.

"As soon as I get off of this ship, I'm going to find Lovina. I'm going to give her this ring in my pocket, and ask her to accompany me to the nearest church." He said, mindlessly strumming at the strings of the guitar as his mind wandered somewhere else. Probably to his Lovina, Alice believed.

"Hey, no offense Antonio." Gilbert said as he leaned forward, his arms resting on his knees. "But the Mauretania sailed five years ago. How do you know that she's still waiting for you? You sure she didn't just marry some other schmuck?" Antonio shook his head, with a light laugh.

"You've obviously never been in love amigo. I believe that she waited for me, just like she said she would. I have faith in our love." Antonio said with a longing expression. It reminded Alice of how Francis was during his time with the girl he had claimed to love. Which was the next question that Gilbert asked, though Francis wasn't paying much attention. Alice's cousin was just staring at the clouds as they passed, lost in thought it seemed.

"What about you Francis?" Gilbert asked. "You ever in love?"

"Hmm?" Francis slurred as he was brought back down to the group. "Have I ever been in love? Oh yes." He said with a small, slightly sad chuckle. "Oh yes I have been in love, and I was so deeply in love too."

"Yea?" Antonio said as he turned his green gaze to Francis. "What happened to her?"

"She had to leave I guess." Francis said with a shrug. Alice bit her tongue as she saw the pain in her cousin's blue eyes. She started to instantly regret calling his relationship a fling. Alice could now see how much he had loved this girl.

"She left without saying a word?" Gilbert asked. Francis nodded slowly.

"Oui, but oh does my heart still bleed for her affection. I can only hope that I can see her one day…again…" Francis began to trail away from his sentence as his blue gaze focused on something ahead of them. Alice saw her cousin's sudden shift in attitude, and it didn't escape the gaze of the other two. Antonio and Gilbert exchanged a confused glance with each other, while Alice followed her cousin's gaze to the top deck where the first class passengers were. By the balcony over looking the bottom deck stood a girl, a little younger than Alice was. Her hair was golden in the rays of the early setting sun, and from the way her body slouched against the railing she almost looked distressed. Well not distressed, more like upset over something. Yet for some reason, she quickly caught the gaze of Francis, who was on his feet just staring at her as if he was trying to figure out who it was.

"Francis? What's the matter?" Alice asked as she looked up at her cousin. But Francis didn't answer Alice right away. Instead he just continued to stare at the girl by the balcony, until a wide smile slowly began to grow on his face.

"Mon dieu can fate really be so kind?" Alice heard him mutter.

"Francis, you alright there?" Gilbert asked as he looked behind him to see what he was staring out. "You're not really staring at that first class frau are you? Man, have you gone insane? There is no way that it'll ever happen."

"No, no but you see," Francis said as his gaze grew ten times softer. "It already has. That, my friends, is the one that my heart still bleeds for. I can't believe that I didn't recognize her at first." Alice quickly looked back at the girl by the balcony, before looking back at her cousin.

"Francis you don't seriously think that it's her do you? You realize that the odds of this… encounter ever happening is extremely low- Francis where are you going?" Alice asked as she jumped up, just as soon as Francis began heading for the balcony at a quick pace.

"But it is her Alice!" Francis shouted with absolute joy. "It's my Maddie! My Madeline!" He whirled right around, and headed for the balcony as quick as he could.

Alice let out a groan. Leave it to Francis to run off at the thought of love. Alice excused herself, and apologized to her two cabin-mates, before running off after her cousin. Francis was absolutely crazy! Running off to the first class deck! Did he not realize that he wasn't allowed up there?

"Oh bloody hell…" Alice groaned, after all she was in the wrong too. She was the one that was following him to the first class deck. "He's going to be the death of us."

**Time for a fun fact! The Mauretania, the ship Lovina sailed on, was the fastest ship at the time. Titanic was said to have beaten it in both speed, and size, but after Titanic sank the Mauretania was once again the fastest ship in England. It had it's maiden voyage on November 16 in 1907 sailing from Liverpool and landed in New York on November 22 of that same year. It was retired in 1934. This has been another fun fact from Chissai!**


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